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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Israel plans new community in Gaza border region, named after local council head murdered on Oct. 7
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
The Israel Planning Administration’s Southern District Planning and Building Committee agrees to deposit for public comment a plan for a new community near Kibbutz Sa’ad in the Gaza border region of southern Israel.
It will be named Ofir, after Ofir Libstein, head of the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, who was murdered on October 7, 2023, while defending Kibbutz Kfar Aza from invading Hamas terrorists.
The new community, set to spread over some 1,000 dunams (250 acres), will have around 500 housing units of different sizes, alongside educational institutions, commercial areas, a community center, a clinic, a resilience center, a central square and a park.
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